Understanding Gut Inflammation - Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment Options

What Is Gut Inflammation?

In its simplest form, gut inflammation is caused when the inside lining of the gut becomes swollen or irritated due to irritants that trigger the digestive system. Consider it as a red flag through which an immune system warns against trouble ahead. 

When there are infections, certain food items, or stress-related cases, the body automatically reacts by increasing inflammation to protect itself. Nonetheless, although inflammation plays a part in the healing process of the body if it persists for long periods of time, then more serious problems may arise.

Why does this matter? Chronic gut inflammation could contribute to more serious digestion-related diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Leaky Gut Syndrome. 

• IBS is a frequent gastrointestinal disorder that causes abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea. It isn’t about any damage to the gut; it is more about how the gut works. It can get worse due to stress and certain foods.
• IBD occurs when swelling and sores in the intestines are caused by an immune system attack. This leads to intense abdominal pain, bloody stools and diarrhoea.
• In leaky gut syndrome, small holes appear in a person’s intestinal lining, which allows toxicants such as bacteria to enter into the bloodstream, causing inflammation. The result could be bloating, food sensitivities or other similar health issues.

These conditions do not just affect digestion alone, but their implications involve interfering with nutrient absorption and affecting general wellness levels.

Now that we know what gut inflammation is let’s find out what’s behind it and what symptoms to look for.

Common Causes Of Gut Inflammation

When your gut is in balance, it thrives like a well-looked-after garden. But when things go wrong, this is where you start having problems. There are many causes of gut inflammation, and often, it can be a combination of factors. Let’s take a closer look at the major culprits behind this.

1. Poor Diet: Your Gut’s Worst Enemy

This fact has been reiterated repeatedly, but it remains the same: what you feed your body contributes greatly to your gut health. 

When you eat foods high in processed sugars and unhealthy fats or drink too much alcohol, you feed harmful bacteria, which leads to an inflamed gut lining. 

Accordingly, one must consume nutrient-dense whole foods such as lean proteins, fresh vegetables, and fruits instead of junk foods. This is too boring to hear, right? But it wouldn’t be boring for your gut health and overall wellness.

Also, remember that alcoholism can be quite problematic, too. Although a glass of wine here and there may not hurt anyone, excessive drinking harms your stomach lining through irritation, hence leading to inflammation.

2. Imbalance Of Gut Microbes: Gut Dysbiosis

Trillions of bacteria inhabit your gut. Are you surprised?! Yes, that’s right; the human gut is inhabited by millions of bacteria, which is called the gut microbiome. Some of these are beneficial, while others are not so good. 

This bacterial stability is known to be disrupted when there’s an occurrence of gut dysbiosis. There could be several causes for this imbalance: long-term antibiotic use, infections, or an unhealthy diet. These harmful bacteria cause inflammation, which causes you to suffer from digestive issues. You might have experienced this microbial disturbance yourself if you had taken antibiotics before and had the feeling that your stomach was acting strangely.

3. Food Intolerances: Your Gut’s Silent Triggers

Your physical system may react badly to certain forms of food, including gluten or lactose. These foods can lead to inflammation within the intestines if you already possess a food intolerance towards them. 

When ingested, gluten can irritate the lining of the intestines, causing digestive discomfort. On the other hand, Lactose intolerance leads to swelling and diarrhoea due to the body’s difficulties breaking down dairy products.

4. Autoimmune Diseases: When The Body Fights Itself

Autoimmune diseases, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), occur when your body’s immune system erroneously invades the lining of your gut, causing inflammation.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis fall into this category; they manifest with chronic and sometimes severe gut inflammations that may require medical attention.

5. Infections: Bacterial, Viral, Or Parasitic

Gut inflammation can also follow an infection. Whether bacteria, viruses or parasites cause these infections, they can irritate the lining of the digestive tract, leading to transitory or persistent inflammation. Sometimes, even after you have recovered from an infection, your gut might stay inflamed for a long time, causing discomfort that lasts for a long time.

6. Stress And Lifestyle Factors: The Gut-Brain Connection

It is no longer unknown that stress can affect you in different ways, but did you know that it also affects how your gut functions? This connection is otherwise called the gut-brain axis.

Digestive disorders are associated with inflammatory processes within the intestines as a result of continuous anxiety and nervousness, influencing even mood swings caused by everyday life situations. 

Read The Gut-Brain Connection: Understanding the Gut-Brain Axis for a better understanding of this.

Have you ever noticed how feeling stressed can make you gassy or bloated? That could be evidence that stress disturbs the normal functioning of your intestine. Activities like yoga, mindfulness, and meditation can help alleviate inflammatory reactions arising from anxiety and stress. 

The Symptoms Of Gut Inflammation

At this point, you now know the triggers for gut inflammation. It is, therefore, important to be aware of symptoms that may arise as a result of gut inflammation. If you see these signs, it’s something worth being alarmed with:

• Stomach Pain Or Cramping: This could be sharp, dull or cramp-like pain in the abdomen, indicating bowel inflammation.
• Constant Feeling Of Bloatedness And Gas Formation: Does your stomach bloat up like a balloon after eating? That is indicative that your digestive system is not functioning properly.
• Diarrhoea Or Constipation: Inflamed intestines can cause irregularities, such as loose stools that sometimes alternate with constipation.
• Nausea Or Vomiting: Constant desire to vomit and even vomiting can signify disrupted digestion due to gut inflammation.
• Unexplained Weight Loss: Ongoing gut inflammation could impair nutrient absorption, leading to weight loss.
• Fatigue And Low Energy Levels: When inflammation is present in your digestive tract, the energy within your body becomes significantly reduced, thereby causing chronic fatigue.
• Blood In Stool: Patients who notice blood traces in their excretion should be attended to urgently because this indicates something grave, like IBD. Do not put it off. Consult a medical professional right away.

Treatment Options For Gut Inflammation

The good news is that gut inflammation can be controlled with proper treatment. Whether through changing your diet, changing the way you live, or using medicines, you can still achieve balance in your gut. Research proves the positive effects of lifestyle and diet on gut microbiota, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy gut.

Dietary Changes: The First Line of Defense

When it comes to gut well-being, what food you put in your gut holds the key. Let’s see how modifying your diet can help you manage or prevent gut inflammation.

1. Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods is key. Consider focusing on whole and nutrient-dense foods such as:

• Fruits and Vegetables: They are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and fibres.
• Whole Grains: Oats, quinoa, and brown rice will benefit your gut.
• Lean Proteins: Chicken, turkey, tofu, and fish offer you great alternatives.
• Healthy Fats: Such as omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, flaxseeds and walnuts.

Certain anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric and ginger have properties that can directly soothe your digestive system, so don’t shy away from adding these to your meals!

2. Elimination Diet

If there is any suspicion that some particular foods cause inflammatory reactions, one should try an elimination diet. This involves removing common irritants such as gluten, dairy products, and processed sugars from one’s diet for a couple of weeks and slowly reintroducing them one at a time. Hence, it helps identify any sensitivities with food or intolerances.

3. Foods High In Fibre

Your gut bacteria feed on fibre. The inclusion of more fibre, especially soluble fibre contained in things like bananas, apples, and oats, helps encourage improved digestion, thereby decreasing inflammation.

4. Staying Hydrated

We don’t know how much this needs to be underlined. Yes, drink plenty of water. It is important to drink plenty of water not just for gut health but also for overall health and well-being.

For digestive health reasons and to prevent inflammation, you should always make sure that you are hydrated enough. Therefore, aim to drink at least eight glasses of water each day for proper system functioning.

Lifestyle Changes: Small Shifts, Big Impact

It’s not just about food, but how you live your life can significantly impact your gut health. As the heading says, these small steps have a huge impact on your health. You must have heard the power of compounding from economics; the same principle applies here, too. These smaller steps on a consistent basis can have larger benefits on your health and wellness.

1. Managing Stress

Chronic stress can escalate inflammation to a dangerous level. Some of the best ways to manage stress include practising yoga, taking deep breaths, or meditation, as these activities have been shown to reduce gut inflammation and improve overall health.

2. Regular Exercise

Regular physical activity, such as walking, cycling, or swimming, can lessen inflammation, improve gut motility, and make the digestive system more efficient. Have you noticed how well you feel after a workout? Of course, you feel tired, but you feel great, too, right?

3. Quality Of Sleep

Quality sleep is crucial for healing and reducing inflammation. Make sure you get 7-9 hours of good sleep each night for your body and gut to recover. To sleep well, in modern times, the golden rule is to stay away from the screen about 30-45 minutes before sleep. Try this; you shall reap the benefits of a healthy, sound sleep every day.

When You Need Extra Help: Medications And Supplements

Sometimes, dietary and lifestyle changes are not sufficient; this is when medication or supplements come into play. Probiotics help rebalance ‘good’ bacteria in your gut, while prebiotics (such as garlic and onions) feed your helpful gut bacteria. If the inflammation is severe, medications like corticosteroids or biologics may be needed.

When To Seek Medical Attention

After reading this, you have gained knowledge of the causes and symptoms of gut inflammation along with its management methods. However, the most crucial aspect is still having the knowledge to seek medical help at the appropriate time, or rather, the earliest.

Suppose you have severe or continuous symptoms, such as stomach aches, blood in your stool, or unexplained weight loss. It is high time that you get medical treatment at the earliest. These could be signs of more serious conditions that must be treated by a physician.

Gut Inflammation: Ayurveda’s Approach

In this respect, Ayurveda is holistic in treating gut inflammation as the underlying issue and not just symptoms. It is a very old science that deals with equilibrium and thus brings together your body, mind, and surroundings in harmony. Again, let us see how it can help you have a healthier gut.

According to Ayurveda, the seat of Agni (digestive fire), which is responsible for digestion, absorption, and assimilation, lies in the gastrointestinal tract. When Agni becomes weak or depleted due to bad food habits or other reasons, it results in the accumulation of toxins (ama), which react with other elements in the body, causing inflammation. 

Therefore, most ayurvedic treatments aimed at helping one get better are primarily focused on the best way of increasing Agni and detoxifying the gut.

With the above principle, the dietary changes and lifestyle tweaks that we have discussed in the earlier section are well explained in Ayurveda. Let’s take a look at some of the herbs that can help:

1. Haritaki (Terminalia chebula): Haritaki has a reputation as a powerful digestive aid that helps improve digestion while eliminating toxins from the body. It also acts as a slight laxative, thereby leading to smoother bowel movements and a reduction of inflammation in the gut.

2. Triphala: Triphala consists of three fruits: Amalaki (Indian Gooseberry), Bibhitaki (Belleric Myrobalan), and Haritaki (Chebulic Myrobalan). Together, they work to balance the microbiome within our guts, thus reducing inflammation. It is also very good at detoxification.

3. Bilva (Aegle marmelos): Bilva is useful in soothing the gut lining and managing discomfort that may be caused by inflammation. It also helps improve the digestive power of your gut.

Have you ever heard of panchakarma? These are detoxifying therapies explained in Ayurveda. Panchakarma therapies are exclusive to Ayurveda and are like the face of the Ayurveda system. They are used for both wellness and treatment. In chronic cases of gut issues, treatments like Virechana (purgation) and Basti (enemas with medicinal oils) can help cleanse the colon and mitigate inflammation.

If you are curious about how to combat gut inflammation naturally, why not dive deeper into Ayurveda? At Nirva, we specialise in individualised holistic healing programs that mesh Ayurveda and yoga to help you achieve better health.

Our team of proficient Ayurvedic physicians and skilled yoga instructors will provide personalised solutions based on your body’s composition (Prakriti) and health issues. Whether it is herbal remedies, detoxification treatments, or yoga workouts, tradition and science coexist harmoniously at Nirva.

Here’s what one of our clients has to say:

Wrapping It Up

Gut inflammation doesn’t have to be an enigma. It can result in bloating, pain, or even simply feeling out of sorts. Now you know what causes it and how you can fix it. It is like unearthing a cryptic way of relief. As long as your digestion is healthy, everything else will always be smooth sailing for your body’s healthiness.

But the most exciting thing is that you can change the whole situation! Change your diet, lifestyle, and mindset a little bit to show some love and care for your guts.

Curious to know how to take care of your gut naturally?! Read Revitalise Your Gut: A Journey to Natural Healing.

Remember, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about improving all the time. Small steps like adding more fibre to your diet, staying hydrated, or reducing stress can work magic.

Whether you start your morning with a smoothie that is good for the gut, practice some deep breaths, or just maintain a hydrated body system, each small step has been termed a win. 

Keep learning and keep experimenting until you figure out what works best for you. And guess what? You do not have to deal with this on your own. If ever you feel like there is something wrong with your digestive tract, then ask for assistance. Most importantly, listen to your gut.

Say cheers to your happy gut and happy life!